Zambia PBL 2017-2020

Milestones Year 1

Zambia: Milestones Year 1

October 2017

Building Community Future Scenarios Training

ZYCALA’s launch involved approximately 200 local youth leaders across the districts of Chitambo, Serenje and Mkushi. They were offered development support to identify the potential within the dynamic and complex community environment where they live, learn and work. Rural youth, particularly young women, explored, through a series of participatory processes, issues as diverse as scenario planning, collaborative communication, democratic decision making and circular leadership development.

After the creation of smaller learning communities in geographic proximity, a series of mapping exercises supported the identification of:

what they currently grow

what they currently eat

what they would like to eat, that they can grow

what they could grow, that has a market

This generated crop growing plans for the first rainy season of the project in accordance with the bio-cultural uniqueness of each community.

ZYCALA youth, during the first activity of the project, recognised the immense power for social change that lies in building community and joined circles of dialogue where all voices were heard, diverse perspectives were welcomed and the future they want to create was articulated.

November / December 2017

Conservation Agricultural Training

Twelve regenerative agriculture demonstration plots were established during the Conservation Agriculture Training one (one demo plot in each district direction – north, south, east and west).

The youth learnt by practising three principles of Conservation Agriculture:

Minimum soil disturbance – to overcome the problem of soil erosion, maintaining soil structure and texture, and conserving microorganisms which are responsible for organic decomposition in the soil.

Permanent soil cover with crop residue and live mulch – to control soil erosion and moisture stress, suppress weeds and conserve soil microorganisms which are important for organic decomposition.

Crop diversification – to recycle nutrients back into the soil and break the disease and pest life cycle.

Chitambo Training

Nature of the Land

Land in Chitambo has been degraded through the use of incorrect techniques which have led to more degradation, soil and nutrient erosion and the loss of biodiversity. As a result, people have resorted to using chemicals. During the training, different permaculture techniques and designs were introduced on the demo plots.

Techniques Employed

The techniques introduced were micro water harvesting structures, ridge beds, raised beds, forest gardening and compost making. Diamond beds were created around the boundary and new relationships were also introduced into the ecosystem.

Serenje Training

Nature of Land

In Serenje district, all the demo plots are in degraded forest. The land has multiple slopes in all directions and the soil type is sandy. Land has been degraded due to the cutting and burning of trees for charcoal and the chitemene (slash and burn) system of cultivation.

Techniques Employed

The permaculture techniques and designs introduced during the training were forest farming, water harvesting techniques and the use of keyhole beds. Compost making and new crop varieties were also introduced to increase the richness of interrelationships in the ecosystem.

Seeds Planted

The varieties of crops introduced were:

Roots – cassava, carrots and sweet potatoes

Vegetables – mustard, okra, amaranthus, cabbage, pumpkin and tomato

Cereals – sorghum and millet

Fruits – watermelon, banana, pawpaw, mango and manner

Legumes – soya beans, beans, Bambara nuts and groundnut

Medicinal Tree – Moringa

Mkushi Training

Nature of Land

Demo plots in Mkushi districts are in degraded forests. The topology of the land is uneven; it has multiple slopes in all directions and the soil is slightly sandy.

Techniques Employed

The first technique taught on degraded land was the raised ridge bed. Other techniques, including diamond beds, raised beds and forest gardening were implemented in the degraded forest. Compost making was also taught.

Bee-keeping Training

In January 2018, 21 ZYCALA youth, of which 57% were female, took part in a bee-keeping training. Developing the capacity to ethically produce honey was scheduled early in the project as a way to generate income and long-term livelihood security for youth from Chitambo, Serenje and Mkushi districts.

Learning objectives

To introduce the practice of bee-keeping to ZYCALA youth

To equip ZYCALA youth with basic knowledge in bee-keeping, management, honey harvesting and processing and for them to act as front runners in their individual districts

To teach the youths acceptable and ethical methods of bee-keeping to create a productive honey enterprise

The training was conducted by bee-keeping expert Mr Chansa Chansa, who took participants through the various stages of honey production in four days.

The training began with an explanation of bee-keeping as an important enterprise for both sustainable livelihoods and agricultural conservation. The young people discussed the symbiotic relationship between plants and insects, and the importance of trees and plants as providers of pollen and nectar for bees. They recognised honey bees as drivers of regenerative agriculture in their role as cross pollinators and identified types of trees which can support bee-keeping with their respective flowering seasons.

Participants then looked at different types of hives and the singular role of bees within a colony. Practical demonstrations were given on prudent methods of honey harvesting and how to turn the honey into different products such as wax and honey. Furthermore, participants identified water and the proximity of human settlement as elements conducive to providing resilient environments for bees.

To ensure bee-keeping continues to thrive and expand, participants will be given start-up hives and carpentry training. They can then start making their own hives and use the initial hives as demonstration colonies.

Through the bee-keeping enterprise, it is expected that ZYCALA youth will be able to produce sufficient honey for local and international markets, creating self-sustaining revenue and livelihoods for many more families and communities.

February 2018

Conservation Agriculture Demonstration Plots

The coordinates of all the demonstration sites of the ZYCALA project have been plotted as part of a mapping exercise to identify where in Zambia Scottish Government funded projects are operating.

Altogether, there are ten demonstration sites which act as a base for regenerative agriculture community learning within their respective regions.

The information will be collated by the Geographical Information Services team within the Scottish Government and collated in a map with other funded projects. This will serve as a useful tool for external stakeholders to see the spread of partnership work in Zambia.

Map datum: ARC 1954

Position format: UTM UPS

Coordinates in DMS: Degrees, Minutes and Seconds

CHITAMBO DISTRICT

CHIMBWI: 1255’ 04.8’’S / 3023’38.0’’E

YORUM: 1251’43.1’’S / 3023’39.2’’E

MUNCHINKA: 1255’58.6’’S / 3027’15.8’’E

SERENJE DISTRICT

CHANKALAMU: 1302’58.7’’S / 3029’05.5’’E

KAFUNDA: 1306’13.2’’S / 3023’24.0’’E

CHILEMBE: 1309’48.2’’S / 3020’45.2’’E

MUTEMA: 1311’55.9’’S / 3023’46.2’’E

MKUSHI DISTRICT

MASENSE: 1359’53.8’’S / 2924’42.3’’E

MASANSA: 1357’57.9’’S / 2923’54.5’’E

MAKOLONGO: 1400’16.3’’S / 2921’43.6’’E

March 2018

Agro-Forestry Training

Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops. It combines shrubs and trees with crops to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, ecologically sound, and sustainable land-use systems.

Main objectives of the agro-forestry training conducted in the three districts of Central Province: Serenje, Mkushi, Chitambo.

To introduce agro-forestry concepts and management approaches to ZYCALA youth

To equip ZYCALA youth with basic knowledge, hands-on experience of agro-forestry in their demonstratio sites

To relate the importance of agro-forestry and livelihoods

The project will be introducing agro-forestry practices in the demonstration sites.

These activities shall:

increase availability of firewood

control soil erosion

increase soil fertility

diversify production for markets and home consumption

promote techniques of organic farming and reduce utilisation of inputs by organic manure and legumes

May 2018

ZYCALA Youth Outreach at Agricultural Show in Masansa

Agricultural shows, which exhibit the animals, equipment, and the sport and recreational activities associated with agriculture and animal husbandry, are an important part of cultural life in small country towns, and a popular event in the larger towns and cities of Zambia.

The Lweo Agriculture Block Show, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock through the Agriculture Extension Officer under the theme ‘Sustainable Economic Empowerment’, took place in June 2018 in Masansa, Mkushi District.

26 ZYCALA youths from the four demo plots in Mkushi came together to showcase their produce at the ZYCALA youth stand, one of only two stands disseminating information about organic agriculture at the show. The youths presented some of their harvest from the fields and gave brochures to every person that passed through their stand.

Chief Shaibila of the Lala people was so impressed by seeing the youths so fully involved in conserving nature through sustainable organic agriculture that the youths were invited to the chief’s palace for him to hear more about the project.

About 2000 people were told about ZYCALA during the show. Flyers were given to people in Serenje and Mkushi police stations, Ndabala Road block, Masansa turn-off road block, two filling stations, market places, to people selling charcoal and other crops by the road side and to teachers from Chimupati School in Serenje. The teachers from Chimupati School then invited Serenje District Coordinator to teach pupils about conservation.

It was good to see empowered youths engaging others in the work of ZYCALA.

Project Based Learning – Supporting SDGs Implementation

Gaia Education’s Project Based Learning is a dynamic learning approach in which stakeholders acquire appropriate skills and analytical tools while actively exploring real-life solutions to the challenges of designing sustainable settlements.

We work with traditional and indigenous communities in the global South to improve the way they manage their environments and villages, while addressing climate change vulnerabilities. Engaged communities benefit with more stable and fertile soil, secure supply of food, clean water and enhanced livelihoods.